Daily Press girls soccer player of the year: Rachel Brewer of Tabb

Marty O'Brien and Dave Johnson, mobrien@dailypress.com

In soccer, as with most sports, defenders fade into the background in favor of scorers when it comes time for postseason recognition. Tabb High senior Rachael Brewer is an exception, a player whose bright red hair matched the passion with which she denied advances on the Tigers' goal.

Led by Brewer, the Tigers allowed only one goal per game in advancing to the state semifinals for the first time in program history. Brewer earned Conference 19 Player of the Year and Group 4A All-State honors for her ability to shut down opposing attackers, then often using her considerable speed to transition quickly to offense and ignite the Tabb attack.

Recognition or not, she'd rather defend than do anything else because it fits her disposition.

"The reason I love defending is because I know that a lot of the time, how well the team does depends on how well I play," she said. "I like the pressure of knowing that what I do could mean do or die for the team."

Her play, and the play of the defense, meant success far more often than not as the Tigers went 16-3-1. Brewer felt that the bond the Tigers displayed on the field was the result of their closeness off of it.

"The willingness for everyone to hang out built a strong bond that showed on the field," she said, noting that the Tigers often worked out, went to movies, ate meals and had sleepovers together.

Brewer's facial expressions were often a barometer of Tabb's fortunes. She was the picture of concentration while defending, flashed a smile bright enough to light up the Tabb field after the conference tournament championship win over Jamestown, and appeared by far the most disappointed Tiger in the newspaper photo of the team following a dramatic 1-0 overtime loss to Dominion in the state semifinals.

Brewer says she'll remember the success against Jamestown the most. She and the Tabb defense were stellar in a 2-1 win over the high-scoring Jamestown team that had dominated the Tigers most of Brewer's four years.

"I'll never forget the intensity of that game," said Brewer, who will play at Christopher Newport University in the fall. "We knew we were going on to regionals, win or lose, so we won because we wanted it, not because we had to.

"We wanted to be able to say we beat Jamestown."

Forward | Paige Majdic | Jamestown | senior. Majdic was the focal point of the Eagles' attack, and she delivered with 16 goals and 12 assists. The Virginia Commonwealth University-bound star earned All-Conference 19 and All-4A South Region honors.

Forward | Erin Fenton | Tabb | senior. A dynamic player in the air or when the ball is at her feet, she led the area in scoring with 23 goals and seven assists. Was voted to the All-Conference 19 and All-4A South Region teams.

Forward | Aaliyah Lyttle | Jamestown | senior. A strong, physical and athletic complement up front to Majdic, Lyttle often overpowered defenders en route to 16 goals and eight assists. Peninsula Sports Club Player of the Year will play in the fall at VMI.

Forward | Camille Freeman | Poquoson | junior. A nice combination of speed, power and ball skill that made her tough to stop, her partnership with Morgan Ayers was a fruitful one as she notched 18 goals and 10 assists. First-team All-Conference 25.

Forward | Delaney Doyle | Gloucester | senior. A first-team All-PenSouth pick, making her four-for-four in all-district/conference recognition. She led the Dukes with 19 goals and 12 assists. She'll next be playing at Randolph-Macon.

Midfielder | Lindsey Williams | Warhill | senior. The 3A All-State selection's leadership and experience proved vital in the Lions' run to the Conference 25 title. Led the Lions with 20 goals and seven assists, and will join older sister Ashley Williams on the University of Richmond team in the fall.

Midfielder | Morgan Ayers | Poquoson | senior. The Islanders were poised for a big postseason run until Ayers, their best player, tore her ACL in the final regular-season game. A terrific header of the ball, she tallied 12 goals and six assists and made the All-Conference 25 first team.

Midfielder | Katie Herold | Tabb | senior. She and Fenton were the most dynamic scoring duo on the Peninsula. The versatile Herold contributed 17 goals and 15 assists to the partnership and earned All-Conference 19 and All-4A South recognition as a result.

Midfielder | McKenna Simpson | Kecoughtan | senior. It was quite a senior year for Simpson, who in addition to gaining All-Monitor-Merrimac honors was her class valedictorian. She finished the season with 12 goals and four assists.

Midfielder | Madison Cobb | Menchville | senior. A repeat pick from last spring, Cobb had six goals and 10 assists for the Monarchs. She was named first-team All-PenSouth and will play in the VHSCA All-Star game next month.

Midfielder | Christine McBeath | Walsingham Academy | sophomore. In a program that doesn't possess a lot of elite club players, McBeath stood out because she made her teammates better. She scored four goals and had 10 assists in making the All-TCIS and independent schools all-state first teams.

Defender | Shaye Doherty | Warhill | sophomore. Doherty was more than just a shutdown defender against the opposition's best attacker. She was a scorer, with nine goals and three assists, and a first-team All-Conference 25 and All-3A East Region pick.

Defender | Tori Browne | Menchville | junior. The PenSouth Conference Player of the Year, Browne had six goals and six assists while providing excellent leadership from center defense. She was named to the All-5A South first team.

Goalkeeper | Makenzie Dunagan | Poquoson | senior. The All-Conference 25 first-team pick helped the Islanders produce their best season in many years, with four shutouts and five games in which she gave up one goal.